Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection is a serious disease that takes a heavy toll on the people afflicted with it. The organism spores spread easily and are extremely difficult to kill. It has become such a problem that it is one of the leading hospital acquired infections in the United States. Reducing the spread of infection and addressing spores in the healthcare environment has become a focus area for hospitals, long term care facilities, other healthcare facilities, and other care centers.
Peroxides and peracids are two classes of chemicals known to effectively kill/inactivate microorganism spores, and these classes of chemistry are growing in acceptance for use in combating C. diff in the healthcare environment. In a concentrated form, these chemistries are generally quite harsh and often carry significant safety warning language and requirements for use of personal protective equipment (e.g., chemical resistant gloves, splash goggles, etc.). Despite the harshness of the concentrate and safety requirements, these chemistries offer substantial benefits of being able to be formulated for fast efficacy against C. diff spores and other bacteria and viruses, of having generally good material compatibility, of having good cleaning performance, and having little to no residue upon drying. Additionally, when properly diluted to levels intended for use in surface cleaning/disinfection, the diluted form may no longer be as hazardous as the concentrated form of the product and may no longer require use of the same level of personal protective equipment.
Concentrated dilute-on-site cleaning and disinfecting chemistries are preferred in the market as they offer sustainability benefits of reduced packaging and storage space requirements as compared to ready-to-use chemistries. On-site dilution is preferentially accomplished through a dispensing system that mixes the concentrated cleaning or disinfecting product with a second dilution product (e.g., water). Dispensing systems are preferred as they control the dilution rate and reduce the user's risk of exposure to the concentrated cleaning or disinfecting product. Dispensing systems generally pull the concentrated cleaning or disinfecting product from the product's package or container through some form of tube (product line) using a pump or venturi, blend it with the second dilution product, and dispense the product through an outlet where it can be put into a second container or directly used. In a conventional dispensing system, a foot valve, umbrella valve, or check valve is used on this product line to maintain prime in the product line. The liquid product in the product line is essentially contained between this foot/check valve and the outlet of the dispenser.
Peroxide and peracid chemistries decompose over time, resulting in gas formation (off-gassing). In a conventional dispensing system, this off-gassing can result in gas bubble formation on the inner wall of the product line tube that delivers the chemistry to the dispenser. The formation of these bubbles in the product line displaces concentrated liquid product and can cause concentrated product to be displaced through the outlet of the dispenser. This represents a safety concern for the end user as this type of concentrated chemistry has significant safety warnings and requires significant personal protective equipment (gloves, splash goggles, face shield, gown, possibly respirator) when in a concentrated form.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for methods, apparatuses, and/or systems to prevent or mitigate the displaced concentrated product displacing through a dispenser.